United Automobile Workers Ratify Contracts With General Motors And Ford

(RTTNews) - United Automobile Workers ratified contracts Friday with General Motors Co. (GM) and Ford Motor Co. (F) that boost pay for workers.

Ford workers narrowly voted to approve their new four-year collective bargaining agreement with Ford by a 51.4% majority.

UAW production members voted 51.3% in favor; skilled trades were 52.4% in favor and almost 91.5% of salaried workers voted yes.

"Our UAW members have ratified the national agreement after a long process and much debate," said UAW President Dennis Williams in a statement. "The voice of the majority has secured a strong future that will provide job security and economic stability for themselves and their families."

UAW Ford Vice President Jimmy Settles, added, "There is no higher authority than the membership. Through a fair and democratic process UAW-Ford members have delivered job security and strong economic gains for their families and communities."

UAW-GM membership voted in favor of the tentative agreement - 55.4 percent in favor versus 44.6 percent against - the skilled trades membership voted against ratification.

After meeting with skilled trades workers, the union renewed talks with GM and both sides agreed to changes that protected seniority rights and some job classifications, the union said.

"Based on the fact that the majority of the UAW-GM membership concerns about protecting the core trades classifications and seniority rights have now been met, the International Executive Board took action to formally ratify the UAW-GM national agreement," the UAW said in a statement.